Traction-engine.



R. C. DE WITT.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1911.

1,040,650. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

2 BHEETB-BHEET 1.

R. C. DE WITT.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.16, 1911.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RICHARD C. DE WITT, OF SUTTER, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed November 15, 1911. Serial No. 660,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD C. DE Wrrr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sutter, in the county of Sutter and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and particularly to tractionengines.

The object of the present invention is to provide a traction enginehaving-upon each side one or more supporting grousers or Wheels incombination with a clutch mechanism whereby propulsion of the vehicle bymeans of the grousers can be effectually accomplished, and whereby theturning of the vehicle around corners or curves is greatly facilitated.

It is also an object of the invention to provide in combination with theengine or motor and the driving wheels, a transmission mechanism capableof reversing the direction of motion of the vehicle and changing itsrate of travel.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a planView, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detailsectional view of a form of clutch.

The illustrated form of my invention dis closes a traction engine havingan appropriate and substantial form of frame 2, upon the forward end ofwhich is connected an appropriate style of steering mechanism. indicatedat 3. The main portion of the load of the vehicle is carried by two setsof supporting ground wheels or grousers which are arranged in line oneach side of the ve hicle. The grousers, which are numbered as 46 on oneside of the vehicle and 57 on the other side, are turnable upon suitableaxles 8-9 secured to the frame 2 of the apparatus. Upon the sides of theseveral grousers which are nearest the frame 2 of the vehicle aresuitably attached or formed gear wheels 10l0 designed to constantly meshwith driving pinions 11-12, the former of which is located between thegears 10 which are attached to the grouser wheels 4-6 so as to transmitpower to drive the supporting wheels. The pinion 11, which drives theWheel 4-6, is secured upon a sleeve 13 turnable in suitable bearings, as14:, on the frame. Through the sleeve projects a shaft 15, upon the endof which opposite to the inion 11 is secured the pinion 12. The pinion12 is in constant engagement with and drives the grouscr gears 10.

Upon the shaft 15 is a loose master gear 16 of suitable proportions anddiameter and which meshes with and is driven by a pinion 17, which iskeyed upon shaft 8 mounted in appropriate bearings 19 upon the frame 2.On each side of the driving pinion 17 and turnable loosely upon theshaft 8 there are suitable bevel gears 20--21, which are in constantmesh with and driven by a bevel pinion 22. This is secured upon the endof an extension shaft 23 having a clutch mechanism 2i of appropriate design and adapted to be driven by a clutch member or wheel 25 secured toa shaft 26 of a suitable form of motor, indicated at 27. In addition tothe pinion 22 there is also secured on the shaft section 23 a bevel gear28, which is in constant mesh with another bevel gear 29 loosely mountedupon the shaft 8. By means of the several gears 20, 21. and 29, whichare loosely mounted on the shaft 8, a reverse direction of travel or adifferent speed may be imparted to the shaft by the power derived fromthe engine 2T.

In order to determine the speed or direction of travel of the shaft 8, Iprovide on each side of the pinion .17 on the shaft 8, suitableshiftable collars or clutch members ZED--31, which may be longitudinallymoved on the shaft 8 by any suitable form of lever mechanism, indicatedat 52. The opposite faces of the clutch member 80 are designed to beshifted into locking engagement with the adjacent faces of the gear 20or the gear 29, as may be required. In one instance, if the clutchmember 30 is shifted into locking engagcment'with the gear 29, and ifthis gear be of equal diameter to the gear 28, it will be seen that theshaft 8 will, through these.instrumentalitics, be revolved with the samespeed as that of the engine shaft and power will be transmitted throughthe clutch member 30, which is splined upon the shaft 8, by means of thefixed pinion 17 to its associated gear 16. If the clutch 30 is shiftedalong the shaft 8 into engagement with the loose gear 20, power willthen be transmitted from the shaft 23 by the pinion 22 to the gear 20,

which latter, if of larger diameter than the pinion 22, Wlll cause theshaft 8 to revolve at a slower rate of speed than the engine shaft 23.Thus, when the gear 20 is interlocked with the clutch 30, pinion 17 willbe revolving and driving the associated gears 16 at a slower rate ofspeed than that at which the engine shaft 23 is running. When it isdesired to reverse the direction of travel of the vehicle, the operatorshifts the clutch 30 to the neutral position between its cotirdinategears 2029 and shifts the clutch 31 into locking engagement with thegear 21; since this is revolving in a direction reverse to that of thegears 20-29, and since it is alwaysin mesh with and constantly driven bythe pinion 22, the shaft 8 will be given a direction of rotationdesigned to .propel the vehicle backward.

Having thus described a transmitting mechanism whereby the vehicle maybe propelled at different rates of speed or may be reversed in thedirection of travel, it is manifest that I may utilize any appropriateform of clutch mechanism by which power transmitted to the gear 16 onthe pinion shaft 15 may be further transmitted to the supportinggrousers. In the present instance there is provided on each side of thegear 16 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 15 suitable clutch disks33-34 having conical peripheries adapted to engage corresponding seatsformed in the sides of the wheel 16. The clutch disk 33 is connectedpositively to the sleeve 13, upon which is mounted the pinion 11.Slidable upon the sleeve 13 to cause the clutch disk 33 to frictionallyengage the wheel 16 is a sleeve or collar 35, which may be guided by asuitable lever or link connection 36. When the collar 35 is shifted, itpresses the disk 33 into frictional engagement with the gear 16, andthus causes the sleeve 13 to revolve therewith at a like speed.

When the ve icle is to be driven forward inpinions 11-12 will be drivenat the same speed and power will be transmitted through I the pinionsand the grouser gears 10*10 to propel the vehicle in a given direction.

The direction of travel of the vehicle may be reversed at will by theshifting of the clutch 31, which will cause the driving mechanism toderive its power from the bevel gear 21, which is designed to travel insuch a direction as to move the vehicle backwardly.

As hereinbefore stated, difierent speedsnipulation of the clutch 30 tointerlock with one or the other of the gears 20-29. The clutches 3031may be shifted to neutral or inoperative position and the vehicle remainidle while the engine may be still running; the motion being transmittedonly as far as the loose gears 20--2129 on the shaft 8.

It is understood that the object of the present invention is to providein combination a-vehicle frame on which is mounted a suitable source ofpower, as the motor 27; to provide a plurality of grouser or runningwheels, of which two are provided on each side of the frame; and toprovide means whereby the steering of the vehicle may be facilitated,these means including a transmitting mechanism and the several clutchesside of the vehicle, may be driven through the manipulation of itsrespective clutch mechanisms 35-33, while the other sets of grouserwheels 57 may be permitted to connection with the driving gear 16. Thispeculiar function of the transmitting mechanism in aiding in thesteerin' of the apparatus is one of the important .eatures of thepresent invention. By the peculiar arrangement of the transmittingmechanism it is possible to cause the vehicle to make a turn or curve ofvery great radius at considerable speed by reason of the fact that oneside of the bearing wheels or grousers, as, for instance, 4.6, may becoupled to the driving gear 16 by the application of the clutch disk 33with considerable pressure against the side of the wheel. In this casethe wheels whereas, at the same time, by the application of the clutchdisk 34: against the opposite side of the gear 16, power could also betransmitted to the driving pinion 12 in such proportion or ratio to thepowertransmitted to the grouser 4-6 as would cause the grouser 57 torevolve at a slightly slower rate of speed than those on the oppositeside of the vehicle.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is An engine comprising a frame, two pairs of drivingwheels and a steering wheel,

shafts, and intermediate pinions, one of which is mounted on acountershaft and the other upon a sleeve turnable upon said shaft, agear wheel loose upon the countershaft, a

driving w eel shafts, a motor with itsshaft journaled at right angleswith the wheel and countershaft, a bevel pinion upon the motor shaft,bevel gears upon each side of the pinion upon the wheel shaft with whichthe bevel pinion engages, a bevel gear of larger may be imparted to thevehicle by the mar I whereby the grouser wheels, as 46, on one I travelfreely without positive or frictional 4. -6 could be driven atconsiderable speed,

gears upon each end of the driving wheel pinion en aging therewith uponone of the diameter than the pinion and a. coacting my hand in thepresence of two subscribing geislu' ilpgn ftthe wheel shaft, glutchfs\fipog the wltnesses. w ee s a to engage eit er 0 t e eve gears on saidshaft, and other independent RICHARD DE WITT' 5 clutches upon thecountershaft and its sleeve Witnesses:

to engage the countersheft gear. WILLIAM E. TUoKnn,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set FRED B. Nome.

